One Book One Chicago, Upcoming Literary Events, Degree Conferral, and More

Last week, Ex Libris kicked off the new academic year with a welcome message from Profs. Michele Morano and John Shanahan. This week we invite you to read the convocation remarks from the President and Provost here and here for their welcome messages, new updates on the university, and a very thoughtful Willa Cather reference.

One Book One Chicago 2011

Many of you have probably already heard the exciting news that the 2011 selection for One Book, One Chicago (OBOC) is The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow. The selection marks the 10th anniversary of this very popular program, in which DePaul is proud to be a participant. Visit the DePaul Department of English’s OBOC web page for more information about the OBOC program, the book, and OBOC events at DePaul.

One particular event that should be of great interest to MAWP students is the Flash Fiction Writing Contest presented by the Chicago Public Library and DePaul University’s Department of English. Writers are invited to submit their short version of the great American novel, their “I am an American, Chicago born” in 750 words or less. Stories must be set in Chicago, and, more importantly, inspired by Chicago, as was Bellow.The entries will be judged by Stuart Dybek, an expert in both flash fiction and Chicago, whose collection The Coast of Chicago was the OBOC selection in spring 2004. Three finalists will read their work at an event at Stop Smiling on October 13 and the winner will have their work published in a future issue of The Chicagoan. Entries must be submitted via email by Sept. 23. Further details can be found on the contest page.

The Newberry Library Center for Renaissance Studies is hosting two upcoming events that may be of interest to MAE students.

In the first of the 2011-2012 Eighteenth-Century Seminar sessions Joseph R. Roach of Yale University will present his seminar “Mistaking Earth for Heaven”: Eliza Linley’s Voice on October 15. Roach’s seminar will address Linley’s “poetic ‘voice’ in the creation of her public persona as ‘The Saint'” and how her success in both her image and her poetry are “a modern parable of public relations in adversity.” Get more information on the Eighteenth-Century seminar and register at newberry.org/renaissance/seminars/18thcentury.html

The Symposium and Workshop on States of Early Modernity will take place on October 14, and the deadline for registration is Sept. 30. The symposium will be lead by Crystal Bartolovich of Syracuse University, Victoria Kahn of University of California Berkeley, Ania Loomba of University of Pennsylvania, and Mark Netzloff of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Visit http://www.newberry.org/renaissance/conf-inst/EarlyModernity.html for details.

The first of several literary events at DePaul are coming up soon!

MAWP faculty member Amina Gaultier will be celebrating the release of her story collection, At-Risk, winner of the prestigious Flannery O’Connor Award at Women and Children First, 5233 N. Clark St. at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.

On Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Cortelyou Commons, Humanities Center Faculty Fellow Rachel Shtier will be reading from, discussing, and holding a Q&A on her new book The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting.

Check future updates of Ex Libris for more great DePaul literary events coming in October.

In Student News, we would like to congratulate current MAWP student Zhana Vaynberg on getting her story “Do Not Leave Chicago” published. Vaynberg is in her second year in the MAWP program, and her story will appear in the upcoming Fall issue of Euphony Journal.

In addition, if you are applying for Fall ’11 Degree Conferral, please send an email to Jan Hickey at jhicke11@depaul.edu and include your ID# in the message. Jan can check your Unofficial Transcript to make sure that you have completed your degree requirements, and is happy to set up a meeting with anyone who has questions about their degree conferral. For more information about the Degree Conferral process at DePaul, please see: